Crave: The Seduction of Snow White

by Cathy Yardley

When a woman is ripe for the picking . . . Beth Cordova's life is no fairy tale. Having barely escaped the evil grasp of her wicked stepmother, this “missing princess” seeks refuge in a strict commune where carnal pleasures are forbidden. Sometimes just one bite of the apple . . . Her world is lonely and void of intimacy, until the charming Stephen Trent arrives at the commune. Suddenly Beth yearns for a man's touch, the feel of his lips on hers . . . and Stephen is eager to show this pure-as-snow princess that she can still be the sensual woman she was once upon a time. Is all it takes to unleash her desires... But all is not what it seems, and the stunning beauty finds herself again in danger, her stepmother hot on her trail. The commune's founders will not tolerate the pair, yet fleeing its walls could prove fatal. Trapped in a world where passion is outlawed, can Beth live happily ever after?

Genres: Romance, Erotica, Fairy Tales, Erotic Romance, Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction

259 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin's, Avon, and Harlequin. She writes fun, geeky, and diverse characters who believe that underdogs can make good and that sometimes being a little wrong is just right.

Reviews

[Terra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Despite this book claiming to be "erotic", I found the sex scenes to be tedious, almost repetitive. I found myself skimming, sometimes even skipping over the parts that were supposed to be sexy and enduring.
Highly disappointed in this book. I definitely thought the "seduction of Snow White" would be, well, a little more seductive.

[Ren Puspita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contain FULL spoilers and some rude words ( I hope no one will feel offended)

Warning : SUITABLE JUST FOR PEOPLE THAT 21 YEARS OLD OR MORE

Dear readers and my GR friends,

I'm again warn you, this reviews will contains some rants (not really)and some rolling-my-eyes- moment. But well, like a good reviewer I am, I try my best to re-telling this naughty and erotica version of one of the famous fairy tale,Snow White.



No,don't imagine the Snow White is like the princess above. Which is Disney's attempt to entertain children (and many adults alike). Don't imagine her as Lily Collins at Mirror, Mirror.



Or the girl that many people seems to love and hate, Kristen Stewart. She also join this "Snow White" convo by playing at Snow White and The Huntsman (I can't wait to see this movie! Too see Chris Hemsworth, not Stewart!)



Why Stewart's scenes always show her open her mouth is a reason I never know.

So,those actresses try to become "The Fairest of Them All". But they will find themself to be shocked, surprised, petrified and scandalized when reading this book. Even K-Stew already read the famous mommy porn book (not my term) Fifty Shades of Grey (guess she will join the cast for Anna's role?). Even I'm not read that book yet, Crave is MORE than just merely mommy porn *wink*

So what we have here??

Snow White a.k.a Beth Anderson, a.k.a Bianca Cordova, is the Princess from an imaginary country, Iko. She flee and false her death because her evil, evil stepmother and Queen want her dead. Hmm, not really new things happen here. The Evil Queen want Beth dead because Beth reminded her so much with the previous-now-dead Queen. A face so beautiful, a hair so black, a blemish and pure white skin like snow, and a red lips that so tempting. Who is not jealous for Beth's beauty?

Beth then join some Amish-cult groups alike to hidden herself from her stepmother and the world. Now, now, the first chapter in this book make me surprised. Because based on the title that called "The Seduction of Snow White", Beth actually become a "Peeping Tom"! Catch her colleagues having sex in her favorite meadows!

Why not change the title into "Peeping Snow White"?

Okay, move on!

Beth of course is a virgin. Hah, like what I'm expected before. 10 years after her escapades, now she is 27 years old virgin maid without have sexual experience. That make her cranky, not mention quite lusty. But the community, Pennitents despise all the sex act. Thinks the debauchery act will weaken their body and soul. Yeah, yeah, yada, yada.

Until Beth finally met her Prince Charming. The Charming, aka an undercover reporter named Stephen, feel instant attraction to Beth. Rather than I think as "love in the first sight", its more like "lust in the first sight".

Oh, how romantic *rolling eyes*

Stephen want to have sex with Beth. Beth who is shyly experience suddenly become wanton wench. And I sometimes hate "virgin heroine trope". Should they feel hurt at their first attempt of lovemaking? But, noooo, Stephen actually is a great lover! He can make Beth not feel pain but pleasure over and over in her first sex. And the fact that he has multi orgasms in the same time, make me realized "duh, this one is erotica! What am I expecting??"

Beth and Stephen begin their sex scandals. They do it almost at every chapter. Heck,that's soo BORING. I don't mind reading sexy sex scenes, even the most scandalaous sex scenes. But when the scene got repetitive, of course I will skip it. Their scene almost like :

Stephen : I want to f*ck you for the first time we met. I don't know with this sudden attraction to your body.
Beth : Oh, yes, yes, I already got so long without any man having sex with me.

Like that over and over. Their declaration of love kinda "blah" to me. I don't feel strong attraction happen between them. Or maybe I'm just tired to read their sex scenes. Then, after The Penitents punish some of their members that having sex in the meadows, things got more interesting. Beth realize the Penitents not a safe place she tought to be. Stephen then plan their escape from this crazy place.

But... they begin having sex again. That really make me pull my hair.

ARGHHHHHH. Can't they stop having sex just for once?

Apparently, yes. Stephen succesfully manage his escape, and Beth follow his later. Stephen called the police, but they don't believe his story. Then Beth and Stephen met again at the motel. They begin having sex. AGAIN *rolling eyes*. I wonder if they will feel tired and sore. But NOOO!! This is erotica.

EVERYTHING CAN BE HAPPEN HERE!!! *cries*

Alas, poor, poor Beth. The Penitents's 7 Founders (that have dwarf role here, but don't have dwarflike appearance) found her. They then punish her, using a glass coffin. Bury her alive then show Beth publicily in other Penitents member as the sign of disrespect and warning.

Eh, wait? Where's the apple anyway?

Actually, its a Beth's lingerie, that have apple embroiry and she use it to seduce Stephen. I never know why apple considered as fruit symbolize temptation.I love eating apple, and there's no "temptation" alike about that fruit.

So, Stephen find Beth, free her, but she almost die. He then awake her. With a CPR. That modern way to wake up people that lack of air after buried alive in the coffin, right? Beth then finally reclaimed her throne, and become the Fairest of Them All. Of course they have sex again in the epilogue.

End of story
.
.
.


I think "Crave" have a good idea,and the book look promising. The plot can be develop into something that have more twist. But, the author choose to write so many sex fest here, that almost all of them are vanilla kind of sex. BORING, I said. REPETITIVE? Yes! The other sex scene maybe feature some m/f/f scene from secondary characters (that end up die), but not told too briefly. Actually this book kinda boring, because both characters busy having sex like bunnies. Even they're still in danger.

Oh, well.

If you love reading erotica who not too heavy on the plot and just want to read the sex scenes, this one maybe for you. But if not, Crave is pretty meh. And I'm not find myself "craving" this book, after finish reading it.

[Jess ❈Harbinger of Blood-Soaked Rainbows❈ · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I thought this book was something different than it was, and after I got a few pages in (literally two pages in) I realized that this was straight-up erotica. Meant for those with crazy fairy tale fantasies or those whose husbands/boyfriends/lovers are away. Not me. After about 100 pages its like the two main characters would strip their clothes off and I'd groan, "OMG, you mean they are going to have sex again?" Seriously, how much sex can two people have in a 48 hour period? Especially when they live a cult-like existence where carnal pleasures mean death? Oh yeah, and did I mention that the main character is a princess? AND a virgin? Holy shit! They do exist!

The "story" minus all the sex scenes could be condensed into about 50 pages...so it is basically nonexistent. However, the male protagonist is actually quite endearing (and I cannot believe I'm actually typing this) and is a refreshing change from the Christian Greys that seem to be horribly inserted in erotica these days. Stephen Trent is like the anti-Grey. Caring, giving, all about the woman, totally unselfish in every single possible way. Yeah, like I said, total fantasy there. If such a man exists in real life, he is probably in hiding from all the crazy ladies who read these shitty novels and believe in him.

I know I am not the target audience for this type of novel, so I can't fairly judge this one, but there was one really positive thing about it. This novel is freaking hysterical! Read some of the sex scenes and you will be laughing your ass off. Does the author really think that she's being sexy? And describing sex in such a scientific analytical way, describing body parts like an anatomy teacher would, just again makes me giggle. Maybe the author has a really shitty sex life and these fantasies are her way of making up for it. Again, I'm not a reader of erotica so maybe I'm the schmuck here. Who knows?

I have the sequel to this one which is supposed to resemble the story of Sleeping Beauty the way this one "mirrors" the story of Snow White. The stupid completer in me will probably pick the second and third books up in the future just so I can say I gave the whole series a shot. Maybe it won't be that bad. I will get a good laugh.

[Kanwae Kan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay , for those erotica fans out there this is worth a one time read but from a story perspective it's not that great .

I initially loved the erotica but it often gets repetitive and I felt the urge to skip over just to read the story . At times I felt is this even possible , the story just focuses on the main protagonist(s) [ "I don't know you tell me : )" ]it doesn't give a reason to develop this bond between the other characters but who cares if you are in just for sex do read .

Also as a point of appreciation, the author heavily tries to describe the environment ,the little things that make my imagination go wild but on the whole I feel it is rip off of a fairy tale with some sex.

Do I think it is worth effort : Yes

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

When, oh when will I learn to read the first chapter before purchasing a book? Especially by an author I've never tried?

But enough about my shortcomings. This book is about the "Seduction of Snow White." I love expanded fairy tales, but this was an extremely poor example. The vague plot of a long lost princess hiding in a religious commune who is found by a reporter was used to connected verbal smut. A vast majority of the book was the protagonists having sex and watching others indulge in hanky-panky.

If the so called erotic romance is your cup of tea, you'd likely enjoy this. Overwise, skip it.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crave is a very erotic book. I thought that it was written very well, had fantastic descriptions and was a very easy read. I read the book in one day and loved the twist of the original Snow White fairy tale. I thought it was very courgeous of Yardley to go into to depth about what happened at the Compound between Lydia and Henry and Beth and Stephen. Ultimately, I thought it was a great romance story.

[Frances Madrid · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book to be a complete waste of time. The actual plot could be summed up in one chapter with the rest of the book being one continuous bad sex scene. Very poorly written and conceived. I always try to read books from many different genres to be able to offer suggestions to patron who might be looking for something new to read. The erotic romance genre has been and will continue to be very popular but could we please get some qualified writers!?!

[Maegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more than I did...the sexual content got way too repetitive too quick (and that says a lot for me) There just wasn't enough story for me and by the time a good story started to evolve, it was the end :(

[Jan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't even find the proper place to begin with what was wrong with this book. Maybe I went in with my expectations set too high? I felt like I was reading a teenager write what they thought sex was like. This is the first time I read a book by this author, so maybe some of the metaphors or comparisons were supposed to be hilarious? I was just expecting more actual seduction and less "OMG HE'S SO HOT I WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH HIM, RIGHT NOW AFTER BEING A VIRGIN FOR 27 YEARS AND NEVER WANTING IT BEFORE!!!", which was ridiculous. The sex scenes were just not hot to me, not even remotely sexual.

The thing I did like is how you could follow along with the Snow White references. There was the apple, the queen, and the box. I just felt it would've been easier to swallow if she was younger despite the whole non-sexual place she was staying. Could've done with a little more, 'you should give into me' and less 'i want to do you', 'i want to do you too'-ness. The former is way more seductive than looking across a table at a new person and deciding, not being coaxed into, but DECIDING on the spot, that you want to have sex with that person. What exactly was seducing her?

259 pages of pain.

[MasterSal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up as an easy distraction as I ramped down from work before my x-mas vacation / overdue time-off. I had read the first in these spicy fairy tale retelling from the author, namely Ravish: The Awakening of Sleeping Beauty (see: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), so I had hopes for this. Not high hopes given that these books are meant to be campy fun IMHO, but hopes nonetheless. Perhaps it was these hopes which led me astray, as I found this mostly dull.

The plot is set in a weird cult compound and lacks the whimsy of the first book. Despite a few contortions this retelling doesn’t fit the original fairytale in either mood or theme. The setting is a little too real to feel comfortable and there is last minute character introductions which gave me a bit of a headache.

Being an erotic-romance novelette, there is love at first sight and some danger near the end to keep the plot moving. I already don't remember much except my boredom with the entire experience.

Skip this in favour of book 1 if you have the time.

[Cindi]

I can't even give this book one star. WAY too long for this type of story. I finished it just to finish it. The story, and yes there was a story - - - sort of, could have been okay but the sex was literally almost every page. For this type of story, I will stick with Lacey Alexander. Atleast she usually keeps hers short and sweet.

[Bree Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than some of the erotic stuff I've read lately. This book had a plot (gasp!). I got a little bored with the constant sex scenes, but other than that I really enjoyed it. The tension really got to me (I kept waiting for them to get caught by the Penitent people). I don't know why, but definitely, for me, lots of tension.

[Kristi]

Um, not what I expected. Thought it would be a retelling of the fairy tale, which I guess it sort of was...The actual plot would have made a short story if that. Otherwise, lots of repetitive sex scenes that I mostly skipped over.

[Mary Van Winkle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoiler-ish: This gets three stars for (if you take away some of the gratuitous sex) a really interesting premise. I like the dark twist of the Snow White tale while keeping some of the fairy tale within the book. Snow White is Beth who is actually Bianca, the long "lost" princess of a fake island kingdom. She's hiding out from the evil queen in a cult compound founded by seven short angry men. Now that plot has promise.

But because this is an erotic take, the point of the cult is to repress sexual desire and all types of sin including eating chocolate and letting women roll up their sleeves. Men and women are segregated and only glimpse each other across the cafeteria at meal times. There are no kids here and no complaints that women do the cooking and cleaning and never, ever leave the compound; men do all the "yard" work and are only allowed to leave the compound if they're part of the coal mining team.

Of course there will be rule breakers and while getting a breath of fresh air after a nightmare at the very start of the novel, Beth catches a man and woman having sex in the woods. Beth has been in the cult since she was 17 and 10 years later she's still a virgin. While she's had her feverish moments in the past, watching the two lovers-- basically two pages in--throws Beth into a heat that she remains in for the rest of the book. Enter Stephen Trent an undercover reporter who sees Beth at dinner and falls instantly in lust.

I didn't mind all the sex until about three fourths of the way in and then I found myself thinking, oh here we go again. There is a scene if not two in every single chapter and I really wish Yardley had given us more plot, more compound life, more queen/Bianca history or more founders interaction. I rolled my eyes as Stephen, who after a few illicit meetings with Beth, figured he was in love with her-- what for? was my response, all they were doing was getting it on and that doesn't equal love. My last quibble was Beth, a virgin of 27 who had no interaction with men aside from one make out session as a teenager, suddenly starting cursing and dirty talking like a hooker while making love. It made me cringe. It just wasn't realistic of a quite girl during her first time.

[Marilyn Barr · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Crave” by Cathy Yardley is a unique spin on the classic Snow White fairy tale – minus the seven dwarves. Snow White, Beth, has joined a religious cult to hide from her evil stepmother. I loved the storyline and the description of the cult members. Yardley captures the attitudes within the general membership of the cult with a wide range of characters from rebellious, to compliant, to questioning. Where the book goes wrong is the romance between Beth and Stephen, the dry dialogue and awkward dirty talk (from a 27-year-old virgin) is cringe-worthy.

Stephen is a consistent character, falling for Beth but still dedicated to his undercover story on the cult. His sweet patience with Beth and courageous nature make him a hero worth leaving the cult. However, Beth’s characterization bounces from shy virgin to vixen and back again on the same page. How can someone, who has been on the run all her life, surprise her lover in lingerie when she is on her first day hiding out after escaping a cult? It doesn’t make sense that she is scared anyone will find her, so she strips to practically nothing.

The villains are revealed in the last three chapters and they pick up the plot. They were my favorite part of the book. I wish the entire book had pieces from the villain’s point-of-view or more interaction between the villains and the couple. Beth says she fears her stepmother and the cult leaders but doesn’t act like she’s scared. Having more action between Father Amos and Beth would have not only made her more credible but it would have enriched the plot. I think he was an excellent character and I wanted to get more “creep-factor” scenes from him.

[lavender gorilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beth and Stephen

oddly enough, a little too much sex. the scenes were decent but made bland due to the high number of them and that they were little distinctive between them. a couple or was it a few scenes were during tense, suspenseful times that made it less sexy and unenjoyable for me.

the story was set in a cult like compound where those who admitted to the grounds went back to old ethics of physical work, male/female segregation and roles, and avoiding temptations like sex and chocolate.

although I liked both characters I was hoping for more. Stephen seemed like a sexy, smart guy but I didn't think there were enough displays of using his intelligence or creativity as a news reporter. I was disappointed in the end.

for Beth's character, I wished as she grew older during her 10 year stay she showed some charisma, indicating that she could be charming with the womenfolk or show through her narrative that she was still aware of her surroundings and didn't just keep her head down. I think it was a missed opportunity to show that no matter her situation she still had subtle traits to being the people's princess and potentially a queen with sharp observations.

there were minimal setting locations that were repeated in the story (which makes sense since they were on a compound) making it easy to imagine and recall with little effort the kitchen, bedroom, the woods and dining hall. it was done well.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book just out of curiosity and once I was invested I felt the need to finish it, even though some of the redundancy in intimate scenes got old. I think this book could’ve had a few less sex scenes and more story. I found myself wanting to skip sections just to find out what was going to happen in the end. I think there could’ve been more adventure as there were some pretty decent moments of anticipation. I gave it a 3 star review because I felt like the author had some creative elements and events take place that I haven’t seen in other books or stories.

One of the things that bothered me is the implication that it had something to do with Snow White. It had nothing to do with Snow White and I feel like the only reason that name was mentioned was because it was an attempt to lure readers in. If you put an apple on a piece of lingerie and make the character a princess it doesn’t make her Snow White.

[Bailey Sanders · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review of Crave by Cathy Yardley
⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Unfortunately, Crave just didn’t work for me. While the premise had potential and I was intrigued by the setup, the execution fell flat. The characters felt underdeveloped, and their chemistry didn’t resonate in a believable or engaging way. I struggled to connect with the emotional stakes, and much of the dialogue came off as forced or clichéd.
The pacing also felt uneven—too slow in parts where it needed momentum, and too rushed in moments that should’ve had more emotional weight. I found myself skimming toward the end, hoping for something to pull me back in, but it never quite delivered.
I can appreciate what the author was trying to do, but this just wasn’t the book for me. Readers looking for a more compelling or nuanced romance may want to look elsewhere.

[Hailey Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is less of a spicy historical story of Snow White and more of an erotica. I’m not familiar with the depths of this genre so I was really put off by the continual use of the P and C words. It was just bad writing. The storyline was a mess and so much didn’t make sense. If you’re looking for a good read, skip it. If you’re looking for a lot of vulgar intercourse then you’re in the right place. This story is solely based on two people who are attracted to each other and fornicate even in the middle of “life threatening” situations. I personally like a little spice with a proper story, character development, and a timeline that flows and makes sense.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot of sex and it almost becomes too much and repetitive. There's a 15 page sex scene. The author also keeps reaching for adjectives and metaphors and it's like "JUST SAY PENIS AND VAGINA!"

It's funny because I was way more interested in the plot and it was an original idea on how to adapt Snow White. I'm glad that the story started in the middle of the action and I didn't have to wade through 50 pages leading up to it. I actually appreciated the length but would have preferred shorter sex scenes in favor of a few more plot details.

[Odyssey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid book for erotica. But it did have minimal plot and could have been a short story without all the sex scenes. I am glad I gave it a try and would read another book by Cathy but this one felt like every our the main characters we're having sex. Which is difficult to imagine since they are in a cult that forbids it. I will say that the main male character was refreshing in the sense that he was not another Christian Grey.

[Goth Pilgrim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snow white but she is running away from her evil step mother and joins a cult where she meets an undercover reported who is there to expose the cult 😱‼️‼️‼️

Wow. This was definitely another winner on the cathy yardley train.

I loved how i forgot this was an erotica because i kept getting sucked into the plot

I loved all the characters and the ending! This was definitely darker than i thought it would be 😛

[Marissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was actually good, there was an excessive amount of sex (which is fine because, yes, it’s listed as erotica), but the sex scenes were repetitive and I found myself skipping over them towards the end and as much as I appreciate using proper names for our genitalia in real life, the word “labia” does not belong in in the middle of a lusty sex scene.

[Allison Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good c u l t story unfortunately this one fell flat. Definitely more smut than plot if that's the vibe we are going for. However I feel they missed many opportunities to expand this story and make it more exciting. I finished it but it is not something I would recommend to anyone unfortunately.

[Karen Carrillo · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was pretty garbage. If you like excessive and grossly worded sex scenes on every page then go ahead, read this crap level 100 book. The story was like 20 of the 250 something pages. The rest was awkward sex.

[Meghann Racca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not expecting to love this book, in fact I was expecting to hate it . Was the joke on me! I loved it. I went in thinking there would be no plot and it would be boring. the verdict : enticing, steamy, and page turner.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting retelling of Snow White, the sex was a bit repetitive but the storyline was good.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sex was just to much but very detailed. The book was very well written and the ending had me on the edge of my seat.

[Emily Lynn Venable · Rating 2 out of 5]

I may be biased because erotica isn’t my usual jam but so much work was put into the sexual aspects of this novel that the actual story lacked so many elements :(

[Ashley Perrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are like me and like erotica fairytale retellings then this book and the other 2 are for you. There is sex in every chapter.